Plan a project: product, needs, tools, people
A good project starts before you touch a computer, with a plan. A group asks four questions. One: what will the final product be? A presentation, a poster, a web page or a film? Two: what do we need, and by when? Make a list of everything needed to finish on time. Three: which tools will we use for each part? Four: who will do each part? Give jobs by strengths and interests. For tools, a word processor with online editing lets several people work on one document even in different places. A drawing program makes pictures to put in the document. E-mail can send files as attachments. Always tell your group when you send an attachment, so they know it is safe, and never open an attachment you did not expect.
| Question | Example answer |
|---|---|
| What is the product? | a poster about saving water |
| What do we need, and by when? | facts, three pictures, a title – by Thursday |
| Which tools? | word processor for text, drawing program for pictures |
| Who does what? | each person gets a part by strengths |
Plan a poster project. Your group will make a poster about ‘keeping our school clean’. On paper draw a table with the four planning questions and answer them. Add a list of five things you need and a deadline. Then write one sentence on how your group will tell each other when someone sends a file. If you have no computer, say which paper tools replace each digital tool (for example, coloured pencils for the drawing program).